Ferrari’s Alonso expects rough road

SILVERSTONE, England — Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso warns his Ferrari team to expect a winless run of tough times and a fight to finish third in the Formula One constructors’ championship.

Alonso, who has won races in every year he has raced for Ferrari since 2010, says he has little confidence he will extend that run.

“If I’m honest with you, I’d say no, it’s not possible to win this year. It’s what I’m thinking inside,” Alonso said at the British Grand Prix on Thursday.

“But in 2011, also, I thought it was not possible to win, and we won at Silverstone, so anything can happen. We will try to do the best we can and if one opportunity arrives we will take it. It’s extremely difficult with the performance we are showing.”

Ferrari was third in the constructors’ race, but just 26 points ahead of McLaren, in sixth.

“We need to keep improving and try to get some margin on those other teams, especially for the constructors’ championship, because we have a threat of Williams, Force India, McLaren,” said Alonso, who was teamed with Kimi Raikkonen.

“Red Bull is a bit ahead of us at the moment. There are some interesting things that could happen in the constructors’ championship so we need maximum effort and concentration on that.

“I expect here, Red Bull will come back in strong form because it’s an aero circuit, but Williams will be strong. I don’t think it was only Austria that was good for them. In Canada, they were also very good, and here they will be a threat.’’

“If we don’t score points, and finish sixth or seventh in the championship, that will hurt the team for next year, because of the economic prizes and things going on.”